Mancos Conservation District

Our Mission: To promote long-term sustainable use and protection of the Mancos River Watershed. We provide educational, financial, and technical assistance to meet these conservation goals.

A map titled "Nail Down the Top Soil". The picture depicts the different landscapes in sections of Colorado.

History of Conservation Districts

Conservation Districts trace their roots back to the 1930’s, when national attention was directed to the soil erosion crisis of the Dust Bowl. Since then, soil conservation districts have evolved into a unique unit of local government that utilizes state, federal, and private sector resources to solve today’s natural resource problem, ranging from soil conservation to water quality and conservation, to flood control, to wildlife habitat, to forest management and beyond.

Conservation Districts Today: How They Help

The Mancos Conservation District (MCD) provides rural landowners with information, technical and engineering support, and access to government cost-share programs that deal with improvement of water distribution, on-farm irrigation systems, noxious weed control, rehabilitation of disturbed areas, and other conservation related activities.

The Mancos Conservation District logo

Meet Our Board of Supervisors

Meet Our Staff

Gretchen Rank, Managing Director

We are excited to announce that Gretchen is stepping up into a new role as Managing Director. In this new role, she will continue to work closely with the Board of Supervisors, oversee all financial, programmatic and governmental aspects of the district and facilitate large-scale irrigation projects. She will also continue her board positions with the Southwest Basin Roundtable, the National Conservation Employees Association and the National Conservation Planning Partnership. Gretchen is excited to pass along nine years of institutional knowledge to a new executive director and support all of MCD’s amazing staff in continuing to provide conservation opportunities for our community. Gretchen moved to Summit Ridge with her family in 2004. She and her husband enjoy gardening and raising poultry on their land when they aren’t spending time in the outdoors birding and backpacking. Maintaining 35 acres of dry land hay has helped Gretchen appreciate water and soil conservation techniques and the importance of noxious weed control.

Danny Margoles, Executive Director

Danny is excited to be stepping into the Executive Director position with the Mancos Conservation District. In this role, Danny will manage and coordinate the District programs and will oversee day-to-day operations, including staff, projects, and program development. He will be the primary media contact and looks forward to maintaining and building on the District’s many strong partnerships. Danny is excited to work with the excellent District staff and appreciates the strong support from the Managing Director. Prior to working with the District, Danny coordinated the Dolores Watershed Resilient Forest Collaborative and has lived with his family in Mancos for the past six years.

Sensa Wolcott, Watershed Coordinator

Sensa joined the MCD team in 2021 and holds a Master’s in Biology from Miami University, a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Biology, and an Associate’s Degree in Sustainable Agriculture from Fort Lewis College. Sensa previously taught high school science and is passionate about community-based conservation and connecting people with the land. Sensa and her family live on their family-owned and operated cattle ranch. She spends her time outside hiking, camping, mountain biking, and taking photos. She looks forward to using her background to support MCD and inspire conservation through dialogue and collaboration that leads to innovative solutions to today’s conservation issues.

Maggie Rossino - District Conservation Technician

Maggie joined the team in December 2023 as a District Conservation Technician. Maggie grew up in Georgetown, Colorado, and is a born and raised Colorado native. She has a Bachelor’s degree in the Biological Sciences with a concentration in Ecology and has held a lifelong passion for conservation and sustainable land management practices. Before joining the Mancos Conservation District, she worked at her family’s garden center while pursuing her degree at Colorado State University. When not at work, you can find Maggie hiking, fishing, and generally enjoying the natural beauty of Montezuma County.

Neva Connolly, District Manager

Neva joined the MCD team in 2021 and in her current role with the District, Neva will bring 16 years of experience with riparian protection and resource conservation planning, stream restoration project management, inventory and monitoring database organization, and federal review coordination for transmission lines and mining projects. Her previous projects involved extensive review in coordination with the Endangered Species Act Section 10 Multi-Species Conservation Planning and NEPA requirements.

Tara Harris, Forestry Program Coordinator

Tara Harris joined MCD in June 2023 as the Forestry Program Coordinator. She graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with a degree in Natural Resources Management. After college, Tara began working for the U.S. Forest Service, where she deepened her knowledge of forest ecology and resilience. After 5+ years of working for Public Lands agencies - including the San Juan National Forest - and 2 years in private environmental consulting, Tara is excited to collaborate with her community on local conservation projects. Outside of work, Tara spends her time outdoors - hiking, backpacking, and riding horses.

Erica Holm, Office Manager

Erica joined MCD in the spring of 2023 and came on full-time in June. She grew up in Mancos, and is the fifth generation of her family to live in Montezuma county. Erica went to college at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs where she competed on the track team, and obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature. She has worn many hats in the restaurant/hospitality industry - working up to management, administrative assistant, elementary education teacher, and now is excited to jump into the conservation world. She loves to spend her free time with her husband and dogs, outdoors whenever possible, and especially at her family’s cabin in the aspens.

Taylor Schultz, AmeriCorps VISTA

Taylor joined MCD the start of June 2023 and will be working with the District for the next year to bring her background in urban water conservation and sustainable solutions to current and upcoming projects. Taylor has spent the last four years in Gunnison, CO where she completed a BA in Environment and Sustainability with an emphasis in water management as well as her Master’s in Environmental Management with a concentration on sustainable and resilient communities. She loves finding new ways to get the community involved in conservation and sustainability and is excited to add her experience to the team. In her free time she loves being around water in all forms including paddle-boarding, swimming, wakeboarding, and skiing.